That was the scene at Gillette Stadium yesterday after Belichick dealt down from the seventh to 10th pick, then selected Tennessee all-Southeastern Conference linebacker Mayo in the first round.

The Krafts can finally take the "Help wanted — linebacker" sign down. You know, the one that's been hanging outside Gillette Stadium since Rosevelt Colvin was hurt last season.

The position was filled yesterday, and though Mayo already has his degree — in sports management, minor in business — he can't wait to begin work on his advanced degree in linebacking at Gillette Stadium.

The 6-1, 242-pound Tennessee linebacker, who was the surprise first-round choice of the Patriots yesterday, became known in Knoxville as a player who put in hours of extra work on his skills and in the film room. The result of that extra work appealed to Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli and the Patriot scouts, who after watching Vernon Gholston and Keith Rivers go elsewhere, settled on the SEC's top linebacker.

With their second pick, the Patriots chose Colorado cornerback Terrence Wheatley, who went 31st in the second round.

"He is one of the better linebackers we have seen in a while," said Belichick, and who will doubt the man-in-charge when it comes to judging talent and building a winner?

Mayo sounded as if he couldn't believe his luck. He talked about learning from Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau (there's no guarantee Seau will return), about how unbelievable it is a team that was unbeaten in the regular season could have a top 10 pick.

Asked to compare his 11 NFL visits, he said, "There wasn't an atmosphere that you felt the winning tradition like you did when you walked into the building with the Patriots."

Now he gets to be a part of it all.

The ex-Volunteer may have sold himself to Belichick — and given them the comfort to trade down — with his interview with the coaching staff. The coaches went over some plays, showed him a few adjustments, and then put him on the spot.

"They took it off the board and had me draw the plays back up with the adjustments," Mayo said. The guess is his recall was pretty accurate, or he wouldn't have been speaking to the New England media yesterday.

You can talk about his versatility, speed and toughness — which Belichick did with relish — but a lot of linebacker play is knowing what you're reading and how to react. Players often comment on how tough New England's defense can be to pick up, and there have been some brought in (remember Monty Beisel) who couldn't get it down.

"I feel pretty confident in my skills to learn systems and things like that, but they taught me the very basic plays. I'm expecting it to get a lot more difficult," the new Patriot said.

Belichick must also be confident. He talked about Mayo's intelligence and his football smarts. He can play — his 140 tackles last year were the most by a Tennessee defender since 1990. And this in the SEC — as Belichick said, "That is a top conference and it's against a lot of good players.

The (Darren) McFaddens, the Georgias and the Floridas.They play a lot of good football teams and I don't think you have a problem finding him in any of those years in any of those games. He was there for all of them."

Mayo was no stranger to NFL scouts, even if his name was nowhere near the top of many "expert" mock drafts. After a good combine and his round of interviews, the Volunteer's stock rose rapidly.

Mayo was pretty sure he was going in the first round. He was a little antsy, raking leaves with his mom, preparing for a cookout with friends and sitting out on the porch awaiting the call. When it came, Belichick was on the other end. Welcome to the NFL.

"I can't help but be good as long as I listen and take notes and learn from a great coach and a great coaching staff and great guys like Junior Seau and Tedy Bruschi and all those guys. I'm just going to be like a sponge and try to take as much in as possible," he said.

Mayo grew up in Hampton, Va., where he was a fan of the Redskins and Ravens. But in recent seasons, the linebacking play of New England caught his eye. His play caught New England's eye. A match made in heaven? We shall see.

The only sure thing is that he moves into a position that desperately needs new blood. His name isn't Gholston or Rivers, but he has the chance to prove a little Mayo isn't a bad thing.

Staff writer Russ Charpentier can be reached at rcharpentier@capecodonline.com.

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